June 16th, 2007 3:28 pm
Health-care industry braces for 'Sicko'
By Carolyn Pritchard / MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO -- Fans of Michael Moore's movies aren't the only ones eagerly awaiting the release of "Sicko." The U.S. health-care industry has the film's late-June premiere circled on its calendar as well.
For-profit providers of health care are the controversial and award-winning filmmaker's latest target.
"I don't think Michael Moore set out to make a balanced movie," said Karen Ignagni, president America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group. "He set out to make a movie about government-run systems and imposing them on the United States as the solution to the health-care crisis."
AHIP has been talking with its members about engaging in the discussion by offering solutions, Ignagni said, declining to offer specifics.
"We will have a lot to say about the movie when it comes out," she said.
Moore himself said in an interview with MarketWatch that he "spoke too soon" when he let it be known he was making a film about health care. He said that decision resulted in, among other things, staff memos within numerous insurance companies warning against talking to Moore. Documents provided by whistleblowers and company insiders detailing efforts to deal with Moore and the film itself are slated to be released prior to the movie's June 29 nationwide premiere.
Industry concerns have also been aired in public. Managed-health-care provider Amerigroup Corp.'s chairman and chief executive, Jeff McWaters, in his remarks at a recent investment-banking conference, listed the film's coming release among the "headline risks" for the industry overall.
The trade group that represents the drug industry, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, issued a statement last month deriding both the movie and Moore himself. .....(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/news/article.php?id=9902